Projectile



March 26, 1968 J. J. VODA 3,374,740

PROJECTILE Filed Dec. 8, 1965 Z5 \4 2G '8 fl?) as Y a INVENTOR JOHN IODA BY AGENT n ted S ews 3,3 4, PROJECTILE' 1 John J. Voda, Evansville, Ind., assignonto Whirlpopl Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 8,1965, Ser. No. 514,167 j, j

3 Claims. (Cl. 102-57) ABSTRACT ,OF THE DISCLOSURE A projectile having'nose and tail sections and a 'relatively thin skin connecting said sections and enclosing a payload. Detonation means'in the hose section when exploded causig the thin skin to split, and further splitting thereof is caused by atmospheric and centrifugal forces so the skin is'removed, releasing the payload.

- This invention relates to projectiles or missiles, and specifically to apparatus for initiating the removal of the body skins from projectiles or missiles at a preselected time after launch.

In the past, projectiles launched from a conventional weapon were of the high explosive or rear ejection types. The high explosive type projectile is a thick skinned projectile having a high explosive charge within the projectile for exploding the skin into small fragments, commonly referred to as shrapnel, at a preselected time period after lunch. The rear ejection type projectile employs a removable base portion which is removed by an explosive charge to allow the payload of the projectile to be ejected rearwardly from the projectile during its flight. The common payloads of this type projectile are smoke canisters, flares, incendiaries, etc.

The present invention is directed to a nose ejecting projectile which functions at a preselected time period after launch in order that the payload may be released in the projectiles trajectory.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide apparatus for initiating the removal of the body skin of a projectile at a preselected time period after launch.

It is a further object of this invention to release a payload -from a projectile in the trajectory of the projectile.

A feature of this invention resides in the detonator system of the projectile for initiating the removal of the body skin of the projectile.

Another feature of this invention resides in the construction of the projectile, and the relatively thin skin thickness of the projectile.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view as taken substantially along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary exploded view of the projectile after it has functioned to initiate release of its payload; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view as taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 2. j

The projectile, generally designated 10, disclosed in the accompanying drawing comprises a nose section 11, a tail section 12, and a skin section 13. Skin section 13 is treadedly connected to tail or base section 12 at 14 and to nose section 11 at 15 to define a chamber 16.

The nose section 11 has a partially threaded bore 17 which extends rearwardly to a substantially smaller passageway 18. Four smaller passageways 19, 20, 21 and 22, shown 90 from each other in FIGURE 4, extend outwardly from passageway 18 at right angles thereto for communication with detonators or explosion means 23. Detonators'23 are of conventional design and are heat actuated.

lt should be understood that while four detonators are shown in the embodiment of the invention, any number of' detonators equally spaced from each other adjacent skin section 13 will provide the same result.

A conventional mechanical or electronic fuze 24 is threadedly received inbore 17 of nose section 11, and canbe actuatedat a pre-set time by mechanical means, electrical means or radio signals. Fuze 24, when actuated, causes a heat flash output which ignites detonators 23 causing thein to explode. j

It'is eommonly known that for accuracy of trajectory, a'projectile traveling at a high rate of speed must rotate about'its longitudinal axis. A gas sealing band 25 is positioned in an annular groove 26 of tail section 12. Band 25 cooperates with the spiral lands and grooves within a conventional weapon during launch of the projectile 10 to impart the desired rotation to the projectile as it travels through the barrel of the weapon. Also, band 25 provides a gas seal between projectile 10 and the barrel of the weapon so that the gas acts on a surface 27 of tail section 12 to launch the projectile.

Skin section 13 is relatively thin when compared to skin sections of the high explosive type projectiles. The material of skin section 13 must be capable of tearing rather than shattering so that the skin section 13 will banana peel subsequent to the initial splitting or rupturing of skin section 13 by the explosion of detonators 23. One material found suitable for skin section 13 is drawn aluminum which gives a longitudinal grain structure that splits readily.

A payload 28 occupies chamber 16. Payload 28 is supported at its rear by surface 29 of tail section 12 and at its front by shoulder 30 of skin section 13.

OPERATION Projectile 10, when launched from a conventional weapon, spins or rotates about its longitudinal axis during flight. Spinning of the projectile produces a substantial amount of centrifugal force on skin section 13 and payload 28. Upon actuation of fuze 24, a heat flash output occurs therefrom which ignites and explodes detonators 23. Whereupon, skin section 13 splits at 15 in four or more places causing nose section 11 to depart from projectile 10. The centrifugal force caused by the spinning projectile in conjunction with the ram air force on the split skin section 13 caused by the forward velocity of projectile 10, causes the split skin section 13 to banana peel for complete removal of itself from tail section 12. Upon banana peeling, the velocity of the tearing skin section 13 and the tail section 12 is rapidly decreased by the ram air force or air resistance. Whereupon, the skin segments and tail section 12 fall away from the payload 28. However, the velocity of the payload 28 is not substantially reduced and continues on to the target area in the projectiles original trajectory.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. A projectile to be launched and thereby subjected to a centrifugal force and a retarding atmospheric force, comprising:

a nose section;

a tail section spaced from said nose section;

a unitary relatively thin-walled cylindrical skin means of drawn aluminumv having a longitudinal grain of said skin means and said fuze 'for rupture of said skin structure connecting said. sections to defineachamber It means adjacent said nose section upon actuation of said therebetwcen; fuze.

payload means positioned in said chamber; and

detonation-means in said nose section, whichwhen 5 Refflences Cited exploded will cause said skin meansto split at a UNITEDSTATES PATENTS plurality of places near the nose section whereby v said skin means will subsequently split at random fi locations along Said grain structure andbe removed 30884o3 5/1963 B 3? longitudinally under the combined veflect of said 0 l M mge a spinning and atmospheric forces, for release of said FOREIGN PATENTS Y payload means.- v

2. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said nose section gggg.

. and said tail section each include a threaded portion, said 7 1 022635 3/1966 i gi nose section being spaced from said t-ail section, and said 15 i" V teat, n skin means includes threaded portions which connect to v y the threaded portions of said tail and nose sections. SAMUEL FEINBETRG Primary E 3. The projectile-of claim 2 wherein said detonation ROBERT S BENJAMIN BORCHELT, means includes afuze and explosion means, said explosion Examiners. means communicating with one of said threaded portions 20 

